Canada Issues Travel Advisory for Cuban Cholera Outbreak
Canada, which does not have the travel ban on Cuban travel as does the United States, has issued a travel advisory to its citizens contemplating travel to the island nation.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is warning travelers about the outbreak of cholera in Cuba, a destination that’s long been popular with Canadian tourists.
“The Ministry of Public Health in Cuba has reported an increase in the number of cases of illness with diarrhea in some areas of the country due to high temperatures and heavy rainfall,” the agency says in a notice published to its website Wednesday afternoon.
Canada Issues Travel Advisory for Cuban Cholera Outbreak
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. People usually become infected from drinking or eating contaminated water or food. It is associated with watery diarrhea and rapid dehydration, which can be life-threatening.
The basic preventative measures are: avoid eating salads or raw vegetables, raw or under-cooked meat especially sea food, and drink only bottled water, and avoid ice cubes unless it can be verified they were made from water that was previously boiled to kill any bacteria.
The official death toll from the cholera outbreak currently remains at three, though independent sources are reporting higher figures.
The investigation is ongoing as measures of prevention and control continue to be implemented.
Over a million Canadians visited Cuba in 2011. It is the leading source of tourism to the island.
This is absoloutely scary for anyone going to the Soutern America countries popular for its resorts. I am going to Dominican and it also has a cholrea outbreak. I feel sorry for the Cubans living in Cuba and all tourists being affected by this bacteria.